Analyzing Soccer Players' Body Language

Why do soccer players put their hands on their heads when they mess up, a common and seemingly universally gesture. According to Jessica Tracy, professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia, it's an example of vulnerability:

“It’s going to tell others, ‘I get it and I’m sorry, therefore you don’t have to kick me out of the group, you don’t have to kill me.’”

Tracy also describes the connection between the gesture and shame: 

“You have the head in the hands — that’s shame. You have the constriction of the body, in the way that the player is moving his arms around his head, almost to make himself smaller. Those are very classical shame display elements.”

In his book, The Soccer Tribe, zoologist Desmond Morris analyzes more aspects of soccer behavior.

Image source.

Discussion:

• In what ways does the gesture illustrate the value of vulnerability? What do you see as the relationship between shame and vulnerability?
• What other behaviors have you observed in athletes? What do you think they mean?
• How does this story relate to body language in business settings? What gestures have you noticed in a work environment?

Barnes and Noble CEO Gets Fired

The Barnes and Noble board isn't giving any details about why CEO Demos Parneros was terminated. In a brief press release, the company cited "violations of the Company’s policies" and stated that the decision wasn't based on "any disagreement with the Company regarding its financial reporting, policies or practices or any potential fraud relating thereto."

However, the CEO's termination will result in a loss of severance pay, and he will no longer serve on the company board. Parneros joined Barnes and Noble in 2016 and accepted the chief position just a year ago. Given his short tenure with the company, the consequences seem reasonable.

Perhaps unusually, the statement emphasizes legal counsel:

This action was taken by the Company’s Board of Directors who were advised by the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. 

To me, this sounds unnecessary and defensive: of course a company would receive legal counsel in such a situation.

Cover image source.

Parneros image source.

Discussion:

• Why would the board of directors not say more about why Parneros was fired? Should they?
• What are the downsides of failing to reveal the reason for the termination?
• What are your thoughts about the statement, particularly the reference to legal counsel? Why would the board include this? Could it be self-promotional for the law firm?
• Which leadership character dimensions are illustrated by this situation? Which may be lacking?

Fewer Meetings at GE and the CEO's Reaction to the Dow

A Wall Street Journal article describes an interview with GE CEO John Flannery. GE was recently dropped from the Dow Jones Industrial Average (also called the "DJIA" or "the Dow"), an index of 30 companies on the New York Stock Exchange that, taken together, serve as a indication of the U.S. economy. Asked about the move, Flannery downplayed the impact on GE:

WSJ: How about the more recent news of being removed from the Dow Jones Industrial Average? Does it mean GE has changed or is it the Dow that has changed?

Mr. Flannery: Yeah, there’s a lot of debate about that. Listen, you know being a member of the Dow is a big part of the company’s history, and I sent a note out to our teams just as that came out.

It is part of our history. It’s not going to be what defines us today or in the future. We’re going to define ourselves in the future. The teams and how we perform and how we deal with customers, how we invest in the things we do right now. That’s what writes the story for GE. The people inside the company are the people who define GE, not the people outside the company. So I’d say if anything, I certainly took it as a motivation.

During another part of the interview, Flannery discussed the company's goal of reducing meetings: "Little or no meetings wherever possible." The goal is part of a broader strategy for decentralization, moving the "center of gravity" to diverse business units.

Image source.

Discussion:

• How do you assess Flannery's response to the question about the Dow? It's a delicate situation.
• What, if any, leadership character dimensions did he demonstrate in responding to the question? 
• What is the value of decentralization? What is the value of having fewer meetings? Also consider the downsides: what could be lost when fewer meetings are held?

Email Edits at MSU

Emails at Michigan State University reveal interesting email editing regarding the controversy about Larry Nassar, the medical doctor who sexually abused hundreds of female athletes, including many during his post at the university.

The previous university president resigned, and the interim doesn't seem to be winning much support. John M. Engler drafted an email that included these statements, obtained by The Chronicle of Higher Education:

But his email was edited to the following, a watered-down apology if that:

The university continues to be criticized for a lack of empathy for survivors of the sexual abuse, and perhaps here we see an example of the administration's failures to offer a sincere apology.

While trying to keep his job, Engler did apologize for an earlier statement, implying that Nassar's first victim would probably get a "kickback" from her lawyer for encouraging others to come forward. The trustees voted to keep Engler despite the controversy.

Image source.

Discussion:

• What is the value of an apology, and what does an effective apology include?
• What is the interim president's responsibility for the final email after the editing process?
• Which leadership character failures are demonstrated by this example?

Analyzing Communications Around the USC Crisis

After the University of Southern California's president resigned last month, crisis communication experts analyzed university messaging. When a gynecologist was accused of inappropriate exams and comments over decades working for the university, 200 faculty called for President C.L. Max Nikias's resignation. Faculty wrote that they believed Dr. Nikias "has lost the moral authority to lead the University.” Although the Administration denies any type of coverup, the gynecologist was allowed to continue in his job even after many allegations in 2016. Dr. Nikias did resign.

A Wall Street Journal article chronicles the following university communications:

A May 21 statement from university Provost Michael Quick denied university leadership knew of the doctor’s improper behavior, stating: “It is true that our system failed, but it is important that you know that this claim of a cover-up if patently false.” Prior to that, the university issued statements about the matter from Mr. Nikias on May 18 and May 15, and statements from other university officials on May 15 and May 16. University administrators also are contacting students.

Criticism of the communication includes sounding defensive, not completing the investigation quickly enough, and failing to report investigation results to those affected. One writer complimented the statement by the chair of the university's executive committee.

Discussion:

• How does this situation illustrate character dimensions such as vulnerability, accountability, and integrity?
• Read the executive committee chair's statement. In what ways does the statement illustrate authenticity? What other character dimensions are illustrated?
• Assess the university's other statements. What's your assessment of each?
• What should the university do at this point to rebuild trust?

MSU's Denial as a Cultural Issue

A Chronicle of Higher Ed article blames Michigan State University's ambitions and culture for their leaders' lack of response to years of sexual abuse on campus. More than 12 people knew of complaints against physician Larry Nassar, but the abuse continued for years.

Lou Anna K. Simon's leadership is questioned in the article. Although clearly a committed leader to the university, Simon is criticized for focusing so much on "two decades of status-climbing" that a culture of denying any wrongdoing evolved. One of the trustees summed up the issue in a letter and emphasized "We must embrace our obligation to apologize and offer justice."

Apologizing may be a sore subject for the trustees because Simon avoided it in the case of Larry Nassar's victims, according to the Chronicle article:

She talked about how “it is virtually impossible to stop a determined sexual predator and pedophile, that they will go to incomprehensible lengths to keep what they do in the shadows.” She often used “regret,” “sympathize,” and “acknowledge” in her written statements, but not “apologize.” She emphasized that sexual assault is a societal problem, not a Michigan State one. She highlighted all of the steps the university had taken to prevent sexual misconduct.

Image source.

Discussion:

• Analyze the trustee's letter. What principles of business writing are followed? What are the strengths of the letter, and what could be improved?
• The trustee encourages MSU leadership to listen. What does he mean by this, and how would listening help the situation?
• What is the value of apologizing and admitting failure? What are the potential downsides, particularly for a university trying to improve its stature?
• This story illustrates several failings of leadership character. Which can you identify, and which do you think are most relevant here?

Instagram's New Bully Filter

Instagram has implemented a new technology that will not display comments considered bullying. The program, run by artificial intelligence (AI) technology, can detect “offensive and spammy” comments in English and in at least eight additional languages. Although the filter is set by default, users can "opt out" if they want to see such comments, or they can include specific words to screen out.

In an Instagram post, shown here, and in a longer post titled "Protecting Our Community from Bullying Comments," CEO and Co-Founder Kevin Systrom promised more diligence, particularly to protect young users: 

We also believe in promoting kindness — encouraging our community to support one another both on and off Instagram. On Saturday we will host a Kindness Prom to celebrate people in our community who are spreading positivity. These young leaders are inspiring their peers by helping kindness, acceptance and support grow on Instagram and in the world.

Research shows the danger of online bullying: of 2,000 middle schoolers in the study, those who experienced cyberbullying were twice as likely to attempt suicide than those who did not experience cyberbullying.

Image source.

Discussion:

• Analyze Instagram's announcement of the filter. Who are the audiences, and what are the communication objectives? How well does the message achieve those objectives?
• What's your view of Instagram's response to the problem of cyberbullying? Are the company leaders doing enough, or should they do more?
• How does this news relate to the leadership character dimension vulnerability?

Air France Grapples with Strike and CEO Resigns

Negotiations over pay aren't going well at Air France, and CEO Jean-Marc Janaillac has stepped down as a result. The last straw was a pay increase proposal that failed to win staff support. The company offered 7% increases over five years, but the union is holding out for 5.1% this year.

You may remember the last highly publicized conflict at Air France, in 2015, when employees angrily ripped clothing off two company executives after 3,000 layoffs were announced. Janaillac was appointed in 2016 to resolve the disputes, but they have continued, and investors have expressed their frustration: the stock is down 40% this year.

Air France says rising fuel prices and a strong euro will make the strikes more challenging for the airline, which managed to keep long-haul flights on schedule but cancelled about 20% of medium-haul and some short-haul flights because of staffing shortages.

In his resignation speech, Janaillac was emotional, clearly disappointed in the outcome. Unfortunately, his decision to step down didn't inspire investors, who responded by bringing the share price down another 14%.

French Prime Minister Bruno Le Maire refuses to bail out the company:

“If it doesn’t make the necessary efforts to be at the same competitive level of Lufthansa and other major airlines, it will disappear. I am not taking the money of the French and putting it in a company that isn’t at the required competitive level.”

Image source (cover).

Image source (above).

Discussion:

• How can the airline manage through the current crisis? What type of communication could be helpful at this point?
• Janaillac put his job on the line with the latest pay proposal. Did he do the right thing by resigning? Why or why not?
• Which leadership character dimensions are at play in this situation?

MSNBC Correspondent Responds to Criticism

MSNBC Correspondent Joy Reid is trying to explain homophobic posts on her blog, which has been inactive for years:

"I genuinely do not believe I wrote those hateful things ... But I can definitely understand, based on things I have tweeted and have written in the past, why some people don't believe me."

Reid hired a security analyst to prove that her site had been hacked, saying that the breach was "part of an effort to taint my character with false information by distorting a blog that ended a decade ago.” But the investigation didn't uncover evidence. The hacking defense typically doesn't turn out well. Remember Amy's Baking Company in 2013?

On her show, "AM Joy,"  Reid apologized for past comments:

“I have not been exempt from being dumb or cruel or hurtful to the very people I want to advocate for. I own that. I did it. And for that I am truly, truly sorry.”

A Mediaite story details Reid's previous posts:

“I look back today at some of the ways I’ve talked casually about people and gender identity and sexual orientation and I wonder who that even was. But the reality is that like a lot of people in this country, that person was me.”

A Vox article acknowledges that people's views, particularly of same-sex marriage, have changed. In the end, Reid spoke about her personal development:

“The person I am now is not the person I was then. I like to think I’ve gotten better as a person over time — that I’m still growing, that I’m not the same person I was 10 or five or even one year ago. And I know that my goal is to try to be a better person and a better ally.”

Discussion:

• How could Reid have addressed the issue without the hacking defense?
• Watch Reid's video apology. How well does she handle the situation?
• People do change. Do you find Reid's comments sincere and believable? Why or why not?

More About the Starbucks Bias Situation

After the arrest of two black men in a Philadelphia store, Starbucks announced that 8,000 stores will close on May 29 for racial-bias training. But are some skeptical about the impact that one day of training will have, and the company seems to be imitating Chipotle's decision to close stores for food safety training. On the other hand, the company could have blamed the employee who called the police, a crisis communication strategy we have seem in many other situations. 

An article in the New York Times describes racial bias research in hospitality customer service and may tell us more about the incident in Philadelphia. In one study, researchers sent emails to hotels using different names that reflected gender and race, asking for restaurant recommendations. Responses indicated racial bias, as the authors describe: "Hotel employees were significantly more likely to respond to inquiries from people who had typically white names than from those who had typically black and Asian names."

In addition, researchers analyzed "politeness," for example, whether employees wrote "best" or "sincerely" before signing their name. They were more likely to use such words when responding to guests with names that sounded white, and the authors describe another finding for this group: 

They were three times as likely to provide extra information — even when the initial inquiry was just about restaurants — to white than to black or Asian people.

In addition to training, the authors suggest periodic customer service audits and consistent scripts and policies.

In a turn, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross has apologized to the two men who were arrested. In his original video, Ross defended the officers actions and said, based on a sergeant's experience at Starbucks, "they are at least consistent in their policy." But in the news conference, Ross says, "shame on me" and "I have to do better." 

Image source.

Discussion: 

• What's your view of the research about customer service at hotels? What does the research potentially say about the situation at Starbucks?
• Have you experienced bias in a customer service setting? What was the situation, and how did you handle it? 
• How well does Ross handle the apology in the news conference? How does his identity factor into his response? How does he demonstrate authenticity, vulnerability, and other leadership character dimensions?

Starbucks Apologizes, Again

Two black men were arrested at a Philadelphia Starbucks. Witnesses say they were just waiting for a friend and asked to use the restroom. The reason for calling the police seemed to be the same: that they were just waiting for friend. But because they didn't order anything, they were asked to leave and did not. Other customers say this is common at Starbucks, and the only reason the police were called was because the two men were black.

The company, at first, gave a weak apology using unclear pronoun references (see "this" and "these"). A longer apology came from the CEO Kevin Johnson later. In the statement, he identified steps the company would take and closed with this paragraph:

Finally, to our partners who proudly wear the green apron and to customers who come to us for a sense of community every day: You can and should expect more from us.  We will learn from this and be better.

Johnson also posted an apology video.

In a video statement, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross explained the situation from his point of view and defended the officers' actions. He also said that all officers get implicit bias training and gave an example of a police sergeant who was also denied access to a Starbucks bathroom. Ross's conclusion was that "they are at least consistent in their policy." Of course, not everyone agrees.

Image source.

Discussion:

• Analyze Johnson's statement. Who are his primary and secondary audiences? What are his communication objectives, and how well did he achieve them?
• What organizational strategy does Johnson's statement illustrate? How do you assess his tone and writing style?
• What is an unclear pronoun reference, and how are they used in the first apology?
• What's your view of the situation? Did Starbucks do wrong? If so, at what point(s)? Are you boycotting Starbucks, as some promote, as a result?
• Which leadership character dimensions are illustrated by this example?

"Nut Rage": The Sequel

You may remember the so-called "nut rage" incident at Korean Airlines in 2015, when a company executive became enraged about how macadamia nuts were served on a flight. Cho Hyun-ah, a daughter of the company chairman, threw a document at the head flight attendant, forced him to kneel and apologize, and ordered the plane back to the gate so the flight attendant could be removed. Cho didn't know that the rules had changed: nuts were served in the bag instead of on a plate, as she expected, because of nut allergies. In February of this year, a Washington Post article details how the flight attendant has suffered since the incident. 

At the same, people were incensed by what they considered entitlement of the chaebol families, who run Korea's powerful conglomerates. Some believe they act as if they are "above the law," and this situation was symbolic of that criticism. 

This week, Cho's younger sister, Hyun-min, is criticized for losing her temper during a marketing department meeting. Some say she threw water at an employee's face, but the airline reports that she threw it on the floor.

Either way, unlike her sister, Hyun-min immediately apologized via text message to the employee and on her personal Facebook page: “I apologize with my head down for my foolish and reckless behavior."

Discussion:

• How else should the company respond to this incident? What should executives have learned from the 2015 situation? 
• How could you relate this incident to communication and character issues such as civility in the workplace, conflict management, and humility? 

Volkswagen Replaces Chairman

Three years after the emissions scandal, Volkswagen is replacing another chairman. Matthias Müller replaced Martin Winterkorn, who was ousted soon after the news broke in 2015. But Müller was another insider and hasn't led the turnaround the board expected.

Like Winterkorn, Müller struggled with public relations. During a 2016 NPR interview, Müller claimed the company misunderstood the American environmental law: “We didn’t lie. We didn’t understand the question [at] first.” After much criticism, VW’s communications department asked for another interview, which was granted. He delivered a better apology but blamed the first interview on “all these colleagues of yours and everybody shouting.” In other words, it was noisy. 

As is customary in corporate change announcements, Chairman of the Supervisory Board Hans Dieter Pötsch spoke positively about the outgoing executive:

“Matthias Müller has done outstanding work for the Volkswagen Group. He assumed the chairmanship of the Board of Management in the fall of 2015 when the Company faced the greatest challenge in its history. Not only did he safely navigate Volkswagen through that time; together with his team, he also fundamentally realigned the Group’s strategy, initiated cultural change and, with great personal commitment, made sure that the Volkswagen Group not just stayed on track but is now more robust than ever before. For that, he is due the thanks of the entire Company.”

The new chairman, Dr. Herbert Diess, offers more hope. Diess joined the board in 2015 and is known for having conflicts with the union and for cost-cutting. He may shake up the status quo at VW and inspire real action. The company has aggressive plans, including building greener cars—for real this time.

Image source (VW cover).
Image source (Diess).

Discussion:

• Assess the company's statement about this change. Who are the primary and secondary audiences? What are the communication objectives? How well does the statement meet those objectives?
• Why do these statements typically include positive quotes about outgoing executives, even if they are asked to leave or, as this statement indicates, they leave "by mutual agreement"?
• What lessons do you think Volkswagen learned since the scandal?
• Why would the board appoint someone who is considered divisive?

Mariah Carey Talks About Having Bipolar Disorder

In 2001, singer Mariah Carey learned she had bipolar disorder, and now she is admitting it to the world. In an People magazine cover story, Carey talks about her initial denial and her decision to open up about her diagnosis:

“Until recently I lived in denial and isolation and in constant fear someone would expose me. It was too heavy a burden to carry and I simply couldn’t do that anymore. I sought and received treatment, I put positive people around me and I got back to doing what I love — writing songs and making music.”

“I’m just in a really good place right now, where I’m comfortable discussing my struggles with bipolar II disorder. I’m hopeful we can get to a place where the stigma is lifted from people going through anything alone. It can be incredibly isolating. It does not have to define you and I refuse to allow it to define me or control me.”

Bipolar disorder, also called manic-depressive disorder, affects about 5.7 million adults in the U.S., which is about 2.6% of the population.

Reactions to the news seem mostly positive, with comments such as this on Twitter:

This story reminds me of a TedX talk, "Everyone Is Hiding Something" about a woman's struggle with an eating disorder.

Image source.

Discussion:

• What are the potential personal and professional consequences to Mariah Carey of going public with her diagnosis?
• What do you hide about yourself that might be useful for others to know?
• What is the value of admitting personal struggles in the workplace?
• How does Mariah Carey's story demonstrate leadership character dimensions, such as courage, compassion, authenticity, and vulnerability?

Nike Memo Describes Diversity Failings

The head of HR at Nike wrote a memo describing how the company has not lived up to plans to promote women and people of color. Nike has been grappling with complaints about its "boys-club culture," and the memo may have worsened the situation.

When complaints surfaced, Chief Executive Mark Parker said, “When we discover issues, we take action. We are laser-focused on making Nike a more inclusive culture and accelerating diverse representation within our leadership teams."

Weeks later, HR Chief Monique Matheson wrote in the memo that the company wants to “to create a culture of true inclusion. As part of our plan, we need to improve representation of women and people of color.” She also wrote, “While we’ve spoken about this many times, and tried different ways to achieve change, we have failed to gain traction—and our hiring and promotion decisions are not changing senior-level representation as quickly as we have wanted."

Of Nike's 74,000 employees, only 29% of vice presidents are women and, in the U.S., only 16% are nonwhite. In the memo, Matheson also reported that men, women, and people of color earn about the same, although she acknowledged, "We’ve also heard from some of you that this result does not reflect your personal experience" and promised to do more research into pay equity.

Discussion:

• How does the memo reflect both positively and negatively on Nike?
• Should Matheson have avoided putting such information in a memo, knowing that it could be made public? Or, do you think she intended for it to go public?
• How do executives balance internal communication and the possibility of messages being leaked to the press?
• In what ways does this situation demonstrate vulnerability?

An Interview with Sheryl Sandberg

During an interview with Judy Woodruff on PBS NewsHour, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg admitted mistakes and discussed plans for improving users' privacy. Sandberg didn't shy away from tough questions about Facebook's role in protecting users' information and admitted that the site had an important role during the 2016 presidential election, at least to get people to register to vote.

On whether Cambridge Analytica still has data, Sandberg admitted, "We were given assurances by them years ago that they deleted the data. We should’ve followed up. That’s on us. We are trying to do a forensic audit to find out what they have." She also said the company had "under-invested" in ways to protect users' information.

Viewers may notice that Sandberg repeatedly says versions of "That's a very good question." This could be a tactic to delay responding, or it could be that Woodruff asks good questions! Sandberg would be the first to acknowledge that many of the questions are ones the company leaders are asking themselves at this point. As pioneers, Facebook executives are reconsidering how people use the site and for what purpose.

Discussion:

• Assess Sandberg's presentation skills. How well does she deliver her ideas and address questions?
• What principles of persuasion does Sandberg demonstrate in the interview?
• What else, if anything, could Sandberg have said during this interview to rebuild trust in the company?

Mario Batali Wants to Move On

Is it too soon? Mario Batali, accused of sexual harassment and removed from the company bearing his name, is exploring a new venture. In December, reports of sexual misconduct rattled the Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group, and Batali admitted that accusations “match up with ways” he behaved. At the time, he emailed an apology but lost ground when he included a "P.S." with a recipe for making cinnamon rolls.

Now, about four months later, people report that Batali is exploring his options. Reports say he is considering moving to the Amalfi Coast, aiding displaced Rwandans, or creating a new company.

A New York Times article speculates that Batali may be in a good position to return to public life:

He still has legions of fans and colleagues who admire and respect his generosity, culinary knowledge and charisma. Many still post their interpretations of his recipes on Instagram, ask him for selfies on the street or urge his return to “The Chew” on Facebook. His restaurants continue to attract customers.

Friends also say that he is truly taking time to be introspective and to learn from his mistakes. But not everyone agrees that a comeback would be appreciated. Anthony Bourdain, for example, isn't ready:

Retire and count yourself lucky, I say that without malice, or without much malice. I am not forgiving. I can’t get past it. I just cannot and that’s me, someone who really admired him and thought the world of him.

Image source.

Discussion:

• What's your view? Is it too soon, or is the time right for a Batali return? What should he consider in making this decision? What are the potential implications for women who complained about his behavior and for the company?
• Batali mentions wanting to understand his "blind spots." What does he mean by this?

How to Talk About Failure During an Interview

A new podcast, Change Agent, explores creative solutions to people's problems. In one episode, "Telling the Truth," a recovering alcoholic talks about her challenges during job interviews. Should she explain the gap in her resume?

For help, the moderator looks to Domino's, which had notoriously bad reviews of its pizza. CEO J. Patrick Doyle explains how the company took an open approach to admitting failure. Doyle led a turnaround by running commercials admitting criticism about their pizza, for example, that the crust "tastes like cardboard." The results are documented in a Domino's video posted on YouTube.

The woman looking for a job was able to apply what she learned during a mock interview. Part of her recovery process is about being truthful, so was open to the strategy.

During the podcast, we hear the woman admitting her challenges, although she goes on longer than may be useful or appropriate during a job interview. Still, the interviewer reacted positively to her telling the truth.

Discussion:

• What are the risks to admitting failure in this way?
• How could you apply this strategy to your own job search? What failing or misstep could you explain in a way that demonstrates self-reflection and learning from failure?
• In what ways does the podcast demonstrate authenticity and vulnerability? 

FB Admits Mistakes and Makes Promises

After five days of silence, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is addressing new criticism about privacy issues. Recent reports describe how Cambridge Analytica used data from about 50 million FB users without their permission, possibly to influence voters during the 2016 presidential campaign. Although some users gave permission for their information to be shared, their "friends" didn't, and this gave developers enormous amount of data about people's preferences. In addition, Cambridge claimed it had deleted data in 2014, but new reports indicate it did not.

Now Zuckerberg is visible in the media and has issued a statement that included the company's responsibility and failings: 

We have a responsibility to protect your data, and if we can’t then we don’t deserve to serve you. I’ve been working to understand exactly what happened and how to make sure this doesn’t happen again. The good news is that the most important actions to prevent this from happening again today we have already taken years ago. But we also made mistakes, there’s more to do, and we need to step up and do it.

He also told CNN, "I'm really sorry that this happened." He promised to limit developers' access to data in the future.

Facebook also published a full-page newspaper ad in the New York Times on March 25.

Discussion:

• How does this situation represent issues of integrity and trust?
• Read Zuckerberg's full statement. Which parts do you find most and least convincing?
• How is the statement organized? Is this the best approach, or could other organizational strategies have worked better? 
• Assess Zuckerberg's writing style. Which principles of business writing are followed, and which are not?

Uber Halts Self-Driving Cars Following Death

A self-driving Uber killed a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona, and the company is trying to understand what happened. In the meantime, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi posted condolences on Twitter. An Uber spokesperson also made this statement:

“Our hearts go out to the victim’s family. We are fully cooperating with local authorities in their investigation of this incident.”

Apparently, a woman walked suddenly in front of the vehicle, and the local chief of police said, "It’s very clear it would have been difficult to avoid this collision in any kind of mode." A human backup driver, who was in the driver's seat without control over the car, confirmed the report. The first sign of trouble was the actual collision.

As a result of the accident, Uber announced it will stop all testing of autonomous cars. In California, autonomous Ubers were set to launch without human backups, but this may be delayed.

Image source.

Discussion:

• Assess the company's response to the news. We don't see an apology, per se. Should we?
• How can the company rebuild trust in self-driving cars after this incident?